White House to oversee elite team of detainee interrogators

US President Barack Obama has approved the creation of a special team to question key terrorism suspects that will operate under the National Security Council instead of the CIA, a move that allows the White House to oversee its activities directly.

AFP - US President Barack Obama has approved the creation of an elite team of interrogators to question key terrorism suspects, The Washington Post reported Monday.

Citing unnamed senior administration officials, the newspaper said the decision was part of a broader effort to revamp US policy on detention and interrogation.

Obama signed off on the unit, named the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group (HIG) late last week, the report said.

It will be made up of experts from several intelligence and law enforcement agencies and housed at the FBI, the paper noted.

The group will be overseen by the National Security Council, which means shifting the center of gravity away from the CIA and giving the White House direct oversight, The Post said.

Obama moved to overhaul interrogation and detention guidelines soon after taking office, including the creation of a task force on interrogation and transfer policies, the report said.

The task force, whose findings will be made public Monday, recommended the new interrogation unit, along with other changes regarding the way prisoners are transferred overseas, The Post pointed out.